Folding bed arrangement

ABSTRACT

A bed lift mechanism for easy tilting of full size beds between a horizontal sleeping position and a vertical storage position. A bed frame is pivotally mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis near an edge. A support member extends from the pivoted edge toward the center of the frame. A floor engaging link pivotally mounted on the support member engages the floor as the frame is tilted from the vertical storage position. A floor engaging leg also pivotally mounted on the support member engages the floor as the angle of tilt from the vertical increases. The link and the leg are coupled by a leg actuator. Spring biasing of the mechanism aids the frame tilting action.

United States Patent Wells [54] FOLDING BED ARRANGEMENT [72] Inventor: Samuel G. Wells, Whittier, Calif.

[73] Assignee: Teledyne, lne., Los Angeles, Calif.

[22] Filed: Jan. 28, 1971 [21] Appl.No.: 110,726

52 U.S.C1 ..5/164,312/314 [51] 1nt.C1. ..A47e 19/00 [58] Field of Search ..297/159; 5/148, 164, 168, 150; 312/314, 317; 108/37, 124

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,700,203 1/1929 Baker ..312/203 2,103,408 12/1937 Eddy ..312/203 2,234,685 3/1941 Vance ..312/297 3,058,795 10/1962 Siegaletal. ..312/194 3,114,584 12/1963 Wilmer ..312/194 3,116,782 l/1964 Rudnick. ..160/206 3,202,468 8/1965 Kegel ..312/203 3,403,641 10/1968 Baker ..312/111 I FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 884,864 7/1953 Germany ..312/203 1,218,476 12/1959 France ..312/203 Primary Examiner-Bobby R. Gay

Assistant Examiner-Garry Moore Attorney-Ronald W. Reagin, Ralph M. Braunstein, Stephen L. King and Kenneth W. Mateer [5 7] ABSTRACT A bed lift mechanism for easy tilting of full size beds between a horizontal sleeping position and a vertical storage position. A bed frame is pivotally mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis near an edge. A support member extends from the pivoted edge toward the center of the frame. A floor engaging link pivotally mounted on the support member engages the floor as the frame is tilted from the vertical storage position. A floor engaging leg also pivotally mounted on the support member engages the floor as the angle of tilt from the vertical increases. The link and the leg are coupled by a leg actuator. Spring biasing of the mechanism aids the frame tilting action.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUL 4 1972 SHEET 10F 2 iii .1

SAMUEL 6. WELLS INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY FOLDING BED ARRANGEMENT This invention relates to bed lifting mechanisms and more particularly to bed lifting structures which enable otherwise conventional beds to be tilted easily between a horizontal sleeping position and a vertical storage position.

Bed lift units are desirable to enable the average person to tilt an ordinary bed, which fully made up may weigh between 175 and 250 pounds, between a horizontal sleeping position and a vertical storage position. By storing beds in a vertical position when not in use the room area in which the bed is located may be used for other purposes during the hours when the bed is not required. In addition, it is generally more convenient to move beds through doorways or other openings in the vertical position. Thus, with the provision of casters, a bed in the vertical storage position may be easily moved between rooms or to a storage space removed from the sleeping area.

Bed lifting mechanisms in accordance with this invention enable architects, designers and decorators to plan smaller rooms that will look larger during non-sleeping hours without sacrificing sleeping comfort. Alternatively, small rooms as in boats, mobile homes, hotels and motels can accommodate larger and more comfortable beds without sacrificing utility for other purposes during periods when the bed is not in use. A bed utilizing the invention may be stored in the vertical position behind draperies or panels. Persons using the room will utilize chairs for sitting rather than beds, reducing the need for replacement or repair causedby persons sitting on the edges of beds. Users of the invention may employ full size beds as roll-aways enabling hotels and motels to stock a single size bed for all purposes. The additional support provided to boxspring and mattress by a bed-lift mechanism embodying the invention will tend to increase the useful life of these items. By providing beds with means for easy lifting to a vertical storage position users of this invention are also enabled to clean under beds without difficult stooping or reaching.

It is an object of this invention to provide a bed lift mechanism that will realize the above and other advantages of convenient vertical storage of beds as well as case and safety of operation between the vertical and horizontal positions.

It is a feature of the invention detemiined by its geometry that a roller tipped leg engages the floor when the bed is tipped through a small angle from the vertical. The leg is spring-biased to take .the weight of the descending bed and slow its descent. The bed is prevented by the leg from going immediately to a horizontal position if accidentally dislodged from the vertical storage position, affording persons in front of the structure an opportunity to escape and utilizing the assistance of the mechanism to return the bed to the upright position or to lower it slowly into a horizontal position.

The invention comprises a bed frame pivotally mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis parallel and close to an edge of the bed. A support member extends from the edge nearest the axis toward the center of the frame. A floor engaging link is pivotally mounted on the support member near the horizontal axis, and a floor engaging leg is pivotally mounted on the support member near the center of the bed. The link and the leg are coupled by a leg actuator which deploys the leg from its folded storage position near the plane of the frame to an extended floor engaging attitude as the link engages the floor and is pivoted about its mount on the support member.

The invention will be fully understood from the following more detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in the several figures of which like elements are designated by the same reference numeral.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bed employing a lifiing mechanism according to the invention, in the intermediate position;

FIGS. 2a and 2b are side views of a bed employing a bed-lifting mechanism embodying the invention, in the vertical position and in the intermediate and horizontal positions, respectively.

In FIG. I, a mattress containing rectangular bed frame 11 is which for convenience in the illustrative embodiment are transport dollies each of which has a pair of fully swivelled wheels or casters 13. The frame 11 is swingable about a horizontal axis extending between pivot points 14 on side members 12 so that it may be moved between a vertical storage position as shown in FIG. 2a and a horizontal sleeping position as shown in FIG. 2b.

A mattress support member 15 is attached to frame 11 at a point on the edge 16 which is nearest and parallel to the axis of rotation extending through pivot points 14. Support member 15 extends from a point midway between side members 12 to a point approximately equidistant between edge 16 and the opposite edge 10 of frame 11. A cross member 17 at the free end of support member 15 is provided to engage the bottom of a box spring 18 which supports mattress 19.

.A floor engaging link 21 is pivotally mounted on support member 15 at a point 20 near the edge 16 of frame 11. Link 21 is movable in a plane substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis of frame 11 defined by pivot points 14. Link 21 is also tipped with a roller 22.

A floor engaging leg 23 is pivotally mounted on support member 15 at a point 24 remote from pivot point 20 and edge 16 of frame'll. Leg 23 is also adapted to pivotin a plane substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis of frame has defined by pivot points 14, and is tipped with a roller 26.

Link 21 and leg 23 are connected by a leg actuator 28 by means of which a movement of a point 27 remote from pivot point 20 on link 21 is translated into a corresponding movement of a point 29 on leg 23 remote from pivot point 24. Actuator 28 is pivotally connected to link 21 at point 27 and to leg 23 at point 29. Springs 31 extend from a point such as point 20 on support member 15 to point 32 on leg actuator 28 to bias the bed lifting mechanism with a force urging it toward the vertical storage position. Thus the spring attachment point 32 is located relatively close to pivot point 29 at the end of actuator 28 so that a mechanical advantage is obtained.

Slings 33 are provided to restrain mattress 19 when the unit is in the vertical position. Box spring 18 may be attached to frame 11 by screws or similar means. A pair of support legs 34 tipped with rollers or casters 36 are provided to support the free end of frame 11 in the horizontal position and to permit the unit to be moved about the floor when in the horizontal position. V v The geometry of a bed lifting mechanism according to the principles of the invention transmits loads through support member 15 to link 21 which engages the floor as frame 11 is tilted from the vertical storage position. Referring to FIGS. 2a and 2b, it may be seen that as frame 11 tilts through a larger angle from the vertical, the free end of link 21 tipped with roller 22 pivots about point 20 on support member 15 and drives leg actuator 28 to deploy leg 23 which engages the floor and restrains the descent of the frame 11. Springs 31 accept part of the load on cross member 17 so that frame 11 with spring 18 and mattress 19 may be easily raised or lowered by an individual of average strength;

By engaging the floor within a very small angle from the vertical link 21 provides a safety factor in the event the unit is accidentally tipped from the storage position, giving an individual in the path of the descending frame 11 a chance to escape and to use the force of springs 31 to slow the descent or to assist in returning the unit to the vertical position.

The lift mechanism of the invention also gives additional support to the center of the bed frame structure through the floor engaging link 21 and leg 23. This extra support will tend to increase the useful life of a box spring and mattress.

The invention has been illustrated by reference to a specific embodiment. However, workers skilled in this art may modify the illustrative embodiment for a variety of specific purposes without departing from principles of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A bed lifting structure comprising a pair of spaced apart pivotally mounted between a pair of spaced side member 12 side members;

1 a between to the the ride andf-rwingable between a'horizontal poli- 6. A bed structure comprising:

tion extending outwardlyl'rom the aide: members and a apairofapaeedapartsidememberl; I .verticalpoaition betweenthesidememb'ers; I a. mattreall containing frame having one end mounted an clongegedmpport member attached to he frame I 8 5 pivotally about an axis extending between the aide memwimihwrmsdimw ride membwandemndinr bermtheframebeingrwingablebetweenhorimntaland .wardly therefrom along the bottom of the frame; I vertical poaitions; 3 98 P -Y P -f E W a support member attached to the frame between the aide mb n Nimble m a y h respect member! atthepivotally mounted endandextending outthereto; i v v I Q wardly-alongthebottom oftheframe; I 1 I. floor P8 }=s P mounted 9 e w t a floor engaging link having one end pivotally mounted on lumber mm the the support member near the axis, the link being movable m gm fl m v ina planeaubstantially perpendicular'to the axia and -P adaptedto gagethefl he theframe'iatiltedata 3. le actuator pivotally'connected tothe link and the le ma Y 7 and mm'able m to 'a floor engaging leg having one piyotally mountedon JFembenmd thesupportmemberatapointremoteflomtheaxia the' fg-m f. mm! P le being movable in 'a plane subatantially perpendicular I v totheaxisandadaptedtoengagethefloorwhenthe 1AM mm! m '9 frame istiltedatan angle fiomflleverficll petition lin r member, the link, the leg and the leg actuator be m subatan- M an angle at which the ink cw an M tiallythesameplane. V ale l gactuatorplvotallyconnectedatoneendtotbelmkand 5:5; 3223 2 when!" at the other end to the leg, the aculator being movable in 4. A bed liftingnstructure as in claim 1 wherein me link and 2s lmw 9 9 M e t e thelegcarryrollersattheirfloorengagingends.: 1 a V v 5. A bed lining structure as in claim 1 wherein the spring fi m arms m movemem 9 the means extends between a point on the support member proxi an e i mate to the pivot point of the link and a point on the actuator 

1. A bed lifting structure comprising a pair of spaced apart side members; a mattress containing frame pivotally mounted between the side members and swingable between a horizontal position extending outwardly from the side members and a vertical position between the side members; an clongaged support member attached to the frame at a point intermediate to side members and extending outwardly therefrom along the bottom of the frame; a floor engaging link pivotally mounted on the support member and swingable longitudinally with respect thereto; a floor engaging leg pivotally mounted on the support member at a point removed from the pivot point of the link and swingable longitudinally with respect to the support member; a leg actuator pivotally connected to the link and the leg and movable longitudinally with respect to the support member; and spring means for restraining the pivotal movement of the link and the leg.
 2. A bed lifting structure as in claim 1 wherein the support member, the link, the leg and the leg actuator lie in substantially the same plane.
 3. A bed lifting structure as in claim 1 wherein the leg actuator is parallel to the support member.
 4. A bed lifting structure as in claim 1 wherein the link and the leg carry rollers at their floor engaging ends.
 5. A bed lifting structure as in claim 1 wherein the spring means extends between a point on the support member proximate to the pivot point of the link and a point on the actuator proximate to the pivot point of the leg.
 6. A lift bed structure comprising: a pair of spaced apart side members; a mattress containing frame having one end mounted pivotally about an axis extending between the side members, the frame being swingable between horizontal and vertical positions; a support member attached to the frame between the side members at the pivotally mounted end and extending outwardly along the bottom of the frame; a floor engaging link having one end pivotally mounted on the support member near the axis, the link being movable in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis and adapted to engage the floor when thE frame is tilted at a small angle from the vertical position; a floor engaging leg having one end pivotally mounted on the support member at a point remote from the axis, the leg being movable in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis and adapted to engage the floor when the frame is tilted at an angle from the vertical position larger than the angle at which the link engages the floor; a leg actuator pivotally connected at one end to the link and at the other end to the leg, the actuator being movable in a plane parallel to the planes of motion of the link and the leg; and resilient means for restraining the pivotal movement of the link and the leg. 